Porch Sails

ABSTRACT

The porch sail is a combination of varying sized and shaped flat panels that shield a porch or other building structure from sunlight, wind and airborne debris. Each of the panels includes a main body with an outer support edge along the perimeter of the panel. Fastener receiving rings are positioned along the outer support edge. Each panel is attached to adjacent panels by fasteners that extend through the fastener receiving rings on each panel. The porch sails are also mounted to the building structures by the fasteners, which secure the panels to structure mounts positioned along the building structure. The porch sail panels are provided in a wide variety of colors to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a porch protecting device, and more particularly to an aesthetically appealing shield for protecting a porch from wind, sunlight and airborne debris.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Homeowner's often desire to have porches built onto their homes to enhance the enjoyment of their home. A porch allows a homeowner to enjoy the outdoors while never leaving the comfort of their home. In certain climates it is often difficult to enjoy a porch because of unfavorable weather. In certain climates it is too hot or humid to relax on an outdoor porch. In other climates strong wind can make being outdoors unbearable.

[0005] Some owners of homes and other buildings often attempt to improve the appearance of their building. It is common to add colorful decorations to enhance the aesthetic appeal of a building. Also, some owners want to use decorations that identify the owner by either having their name or a logo displayed on their building.

[0006] The following patent documents disclose inventions that provide devices that either display decorations or attempt to protect the exterior of a building.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 243,962 issued to Palmer discloses fabric for window screening. The fabric is a woven netting with figures or designs painted or printed on the surface. A sizing is added to the fabric to increase its stiffness.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,620 issued to Mulhern discloses a privacy screening module. The screening module comprises a free standing frame with a nontransparent screen surface disposed on the front of the frame. A plurality of modules may be joined together to form a screened area.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,464 issued to Todd discloses a silhouette image flag with cutouts and an improved suspending assembly. The flag has a substantially continuous border with an image inside of the border. The area around the image is cut out to present a silhouette of the image. A loop is provided along a portion of the flag's width for receiving a flag pole, allowing the flag to swivel around the pole. A grommet with an internal O-ring is positioned on the pole to prevent the flag from sliding down the flag pole.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,733 issued to Gallemore, II discloses a flag display system. The flag display system includes a frame that comprises a base strut, a support pole, a hollow strut and an upstanding strut. The generally rectangular flag includes a securing sleeve for attaching the flag to the top, hollow strut. The flag also includes a plurality of attachment rings for further securing the flag to the frame. The attachment rings receive a tying member for tying the side of the flag to the upstanding strut. The flag may include symbols or designs painted on the flag.

[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,085 issued to Gower discloses a flexible protective system to prevent penetration of wind borne missiles. The system includes a flexible material placed inside of a structure to prevent wind borne missiles from penetrating the confines of the structure. The flexible material may be included within the confines of a building in a free standing form or incorporating the interior walls of the building. The flexible material may also be attached to the exterior structure to cover openings in the structure. The flexible material includes a plurality of fastener receiving rings along the edge of the material for attaching it to the wall of the structure.

[0012] None of the above inventions, taken either singly or in combination, provide an aesthetically pleasing device for shielding a building structure. Therefore, what is needed is a porch sail that may be mounted internally or externally to any building structure. What is further needed is a porch sail that has suitable strength to shield the building structure from wind, sunlight and airborne debris. What is still further needed is a porch sail that is formed from varying sized and shaped panels to achieve any desired pattern or combination. What is still further needed is a porch sail in a wide variety of colors and designs to create an aesthetically pleasing shield for protecting a building structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The porch sails according to the present invention are mounted to a structure to provide an aesthetically pleasing shield for protecting the structure. The porch sails are preferably attached to a porch but may also be attached to the exterior or interior of windows or the exterior of any building. The porch sails shield the structure by blocking winds, sunlight and airborne debris.

[0014] The porch sails are an assembly of at least one interconnectable panel adapted for mounting to a structure. The interconnectable panels include a main body with an outer support edge disposed around the outer periphery of the interconnectable panel. A plurality of fastener receiving rings are disposed along the outer support edge. The fastener receiving rings are fitted with grommets. The porch sails also provide a plurality of fasteners for attaching the panels to the structure and for attaching the panels to adjacent panels.

[0015] A plurality of structure mounts are secured to the porch or other building structure. The structure mounts are preferably a threaded eye screw. The fasteners are received through the fastener receiving rings on the panels. The fasteners are then releasably secured to the structure mounts to attach the panels to the building structure. Preferably, the fasteners are either cable ties or marine ropes, however, any appropriate fastener may be used.

[0016] The fasteners also attach the individual panels to adjacent panels to create a porch sail. The individual panels may be attached to one another in varying patterns depending on their specific use. The panels may be oriented to create a large sheet for blocking sunlight and wind onto a porch. Also, the panels may be positioned around the perimeter of a door to create a decorative door frame. The panels may also be positioned in the corners of a window to create sun-blocking curtains.

[0017] The panels are preferably made from a durable material that is suitably strong to withstand the force of wind applied to the porch sails. The panels are preferably triangular or generally rectangular in shape. The panels are also made in a wide range of sizes. The range of sizes of the panels varies from one 1′×1′ to 8′-×8′. Varying combinations of shaped and sized panels may be used to achieve a desired pattern. The panels may also be oriented vertically or horizontally to achieve a desired pattern.

[0018] The panels are made in a wide variety of colors to provide an aesthetic appeal to the porch sails. The porch sails can be made to match any building structure. A decorative display is optionally disposed on the main body of the panels. The decorative display can be a picture, a logo, a design or even text. The decorative display can be used to improve the aesthetic appeal of the porch sails or it may be used to identify the building structure.

[0019] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a porch sail that may be mounted internally or externally to any building structure.

[0020] It is another object of the invention to provide a porch sail that has suitable strength to shield the building structure from wind, sunlight and airborne debris.

[0021] It is a further object of the invention to provide a porch sail that is formed from varying sized and shaped panels to achieve any desired pattern or combination.

[0022] Still another object of the invention is to provide a porch sail in a wide variety of colors and designs to create an aesthetically pleasing device for shielding a building structure.

[0023] It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

[0024] These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025]FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a porch sail according to the present invention.

[0026]FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a porch sail according to the present invention.

[0027]FIG. 3 is an enlarged, front view of the connection of a porch sail panel to a porch.

[0028]FIG. 4 is a front view of a triangular porch sail mounted in a window.

[0029]FIG. 5 is a front view of a second embodiment of the window mounted porch sail.

[0030] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] The present invention is a porch sail that is mounted to a structure to provide an aesthetically appealing shield for protecting the structure. The porch sails shield the structure by blocking winds, sunlight and airborne debris. The porch sails are preferably used on a porch, but may be mounted to the exterior or interior of any building structure. The porch sails are easily attached to homes, buildings and structures. The porch sails may be mounted to porch walls, roofs, eaves, overhangs, window frames or railings. FIG. 1 depicts an environmental, perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a porch sail 10 mounted to a porch P.

[0032]FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of a porch sail 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The porch sail 10 comprises a plurality of various shaped, flat, thin, interconnectable panels 20. The interconnectable panels 20 are generally rectangular. Specifically, some of the panels, for instance panel 20 and panel 50, are square shaped. Some of the panels, for instance panel 30 and panel 40, are elongated rectangles. Varying shaped interconnectable panels 20 may be used in combination to achieve a desired pattern for a particular porch sail 10.

[0033] The interconnectable panels 20 comprise a main body 22 and an outer support edge 24. The interconnectable panels 20 further comprise a top edge 25, a bottom edge 26 and side edges 28. The outer support edge 24 is disposed along the perimeter of the interconnectable panels 20. The outer support edge 24 is hemmed along the edges of the main body 22. The outer support edge 24 is hemmed to increase the strength of the interconnectable panels 20 along their outer perimeter so they are not torn when mounted to the porch P.

[0034] The porch sail 10 further comprises a plurality of fasteners 80. The fasteners 80 are preferably marine rope or cable ties, but any suitable fastener may be used. The fasteners 80 releasably secure the interconnectable panels 20 of the porch sail 10 to the porch P. The fasteners 80 also secure the interconnectable panels 20 to adjacent panels. A plurality of fastener receiving rings 70 are disposed along the outer support edge 24 of the interconnectable panels 20. The fastener receiving rings 70 are adapted to receive the fasteners 80.

[0035] The fasteners 80 secure the interconnectable panels 20 to one another to form a porch sail 10 by extending through the fastener receiving rings 70 of adjacent interconnectable panels 20. The fastener receiving rings 70 along the bottom edge 26 of panel 20 receive a fastener 80 that attaches the panel 20 to a lower panel 50. The fastener receiving rings 70 along the interior side edge 28 of the panel 20 receive a fastener 80 that attaches the panel 20 to an adjacent panel 40.

[0036]FIG. 3 is an enlarged, front view of the connection of an interconnectable panel 20 to the porch P. The fastener receiving rings 70 are fitted with grommets 72 to make sure the fastener receiving rings 70 are not torn when the porch sail 10 is mounted to the porch P. The fastener receiving rings 70 positioned along the bottom edge 26 of the interconnectable panel 20 receive fasteners 80 that attach the panel 20 to a plurality of structure mounts 90 disposed along the porch P. A second plurality of structure mounts 90 are also positioned along the top portion of the porch P (not shown). The top of the porch sail 10 is mounted to the top portion of the porch P in the same manner as depicted in FIG. 3 for the bottom of the porch sail 10. The structure mount 90 is preferably a threaded eye screw, however, any appropriate fastener receiving mount may be used to releasably secure the porch sail 10 to the porch P.

[0037]FIG. 4 is a front view of an additional embodiment of the present invention. The present embodiment is a triangular shaped porch sail 100 mounted in each top corner of a window W. Each triangular porch sail 100 comprises a flat thin panel with a main body 102 and an outer support edge 104. The outer support edge 104 is disposed along the perimeter of the main body 102. The outer support edge 104 is hemmed in the same manner as discussed in the first embodiment. A plurality of fastener receiving rings 106 are disposed along the outer support edge 104. The fastener receiving rings 106 are adapted to receive a plurality of fasteners 80 that mount the porch sails 100 to the frame of the window W. The present porch sails 100 are used in the same manner as curtains in the window W. The porch sails 100 can be mounted on either the interior or the exterior of the window W and shield light out of the window W while improving the aesthetic look of the window W.

[0038]FIG. 5 depicts a front view of an alternate embodiment of the triangular window mounted porch sail 200. The porch sail 200 in the present embodiment comprises a plurality of generally rectangular porch sails 210-240 and a triangular porch sail 250. Each of the panels hangs vertically from the top of the frame of the window W. The top edge 218 of the panels 210-250 is releasably secured to the top of the frame of the window W. The first panel 210 positioned nearest the window W is the longest of the panels 210-240. Each panel is slightly shorter as they approach the center of the window W so the panels 210-240 create a generally triangular shaped porch sail 200 in each top corner of the window W.

[0039] Each of the interconnectable panels 210-250 comprise a main body 212 and an outer support edge 216. A plurality of fastener receiving rings 214 are disposed along the outer support edge 216. The fastener rings 214 are adapted to receive the plurality of fasteners 80. The fasteners 80 releasably secure the panels 210-250 to adjacent panels and the structure mounts 90 disposed along the frame of the window W.

[0040] The porch sail panels are available in a variety of shapes. The porch sail panels are generally rectangular or triangular but other shapes, including but not limited to square shaped panels are also available. The panels are also made in a range of sizes. The size range is general between one foot by one foot and eight feet by eight feet. The following chart outlines the sizes that the porch sail panels are made. TABLE 1 Squares and Rectangles 1′x 2′x 3′x 4′x 5′x 6′x 7′x 8′x 1′ 2′ 3′ 4′ 5′ 6′ 7′ 8′ 2′ 3′ 4′ 5′ 6′ 7′ 8′ 3′ 4′ 5′ 6′ 7′ 8′ 4′ 5′ 6′ 7′ 8′ 5′ 6′ 7′ 8′ 6′ 7′ 8′ 7′ 8′ 8′

[0041] TABLE 2 Triangles 2′x 3′x 4′x 5′x 6′x 7′x 8′x 2′ 3′ 4′ 5′ 6′ 7′ 8′

[0042] The porch sail panels are also available in a variety of colors. The colors may be matched to the building structure that the porch sail is mounted on. The colors may also be matched to represent the colors of a business or team. As shown in FIG. 2 the interconnectable panel 20 optionally includes a decorative display 27. The decorative display 27 may be a design, picture, logo or text. In FIG. 2 the decorative display 27 is presenting a name for the owner of the structure that the porch sail 10 is mounted on.

[0043] The porch sails are colorful and decorative but in addition to these aesthetic benefits they provide several practical purposes. By blocking sun and wind the porch sails act as climate modifiers. By blocking the sun, the porch sails cool the exterior of the building acting as an energy saver by making air conditioning more efficient. The porch sails also buffer the porch or building from winds, making the porch or building more comfortable for use. Also, when mounted on windows, the porch sails act as curtains to provide privacy to the users.

[0044] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

I claim:
 1. A porch sail comprising: a plurality of interconnectable panels adapted for mounting to a structure, each of the panels having a main body and an outer support edge disposed around an outer periphery of the panel; a plurality of fastener receiving rings disposed along the outer support edge; a plurality of structure mounts adapted for attachment to the structure; and a plurality of fasteners for attaching the panels to said plurality of structure mounts, said fastener being received through said fastener receiving rings and being releasably secured to said structure mounts, wherein said plurality of panels are disposed adjacent to each other in order to define a porch sail, said adjacent panels being attached to each other by said fasteners; whereby said porch sail is mounted to a structure in order to protect the structure in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
 2. The porch sail according to claim 1, wherein said interconnectable panels are made from a material selected from the group consisting of banner fabric and rip stop nylon.
 3. The porch sail according to claim 1, wherein said interconnectable panels are mounted in an orientation selected from the group consisting of vertical and horizontal.
 4. The porch sail according to claim 1, wherein said panels are mounted on a portion of said structure selected from the group consisting of internal portions and external portions.
 5. The porch sail according to claim 1, wherein said outer support edge is hemmed to provide increased durability of said interconnectable panels.
 6. The porch sail according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of fastener receiving rings are fitted with grommets.
 7. The porch sail according to claim 1, wherein said structure mounts are threaded eye screws secured to said structure.
 8. The porch sail according to claim 1, wherein said panels are formed in shapes selected from the group consisting of generally rectangular and triangular.
 9. The porch sail according to claim 1, wherein said fasteners are selected from the group consisting of marine ropes and cable ties.
 10. The porch sail according to claim 1, further comprising a decorative display disposed on said main body of said interconnectable panels.
 11. The porch sail according to claim 10, wherein said decorative display is selected from the group consisting of pictures, logos, designs and text.
 12. A porch sail comprising: a main body portion; an outer support edge disposed around the outer periphery of said porch sail; a plurality of fastener receiving rings disposed along the outer support edge; and a plurality of fasteners for attaching the panels to a structure and to a plurality of adjacent porch sails, said fasteners being received through said fastener receiving rings; whereby said porch sail is mounted to a structure by releasable securing said fasteners to a plurality of structure mounts disposed on said structure in order to protect said structure in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
 13. The porch sail according to claim 12, wherein said porch sail is made from a material selected from the group consisting of banner fabric and rip stop nylon.
 14. The porch sail according to claim 12, wherein said porch sails are mounted in an orientation selected from vertical and horizontal.
 15. The porch sail according to claim 12, wherein said porch sails are mounted to a portion of said structure selected from the group consisting of internal portions and external portions.
 16. The porch sail according to claim 12, wherein said porch sails are formed in shapes selected from the group consisting of triangular and generally rectangular.
 17. The porch sail according to claim 12, wherein said fasteners are selected from the group consisting of marine ropes and cable ties.
 18. The porch sail according to claim 12, further comprising a decorative display disposed on said main body of said porch sail.
 19. The porch sail according to claim 12, wherein said decorative display is selected from the group consisting of pictures, logos, designs and text. 